Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas, third from left, of Lithuania, is fouled as he goes up for a shot by Nuggets guard Aaron Brooks, second from left, and center Timoey Mozgov, of Russia, left, as guard Randy Foye, right, looks on. less

Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas, third from left, of Lithuania, is fouled as he goes up for a shot by Nuggets guard Aaron Brooks, second from left, and center Timoey Mozgov, of Russia, left, as guard Randy ... more

Photo: David Zalubowski / Associated Press

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Rockets center Omer Asik, third from left, of Turkey, loses control of the ball under the basket as, from left, Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, guard Aaron Brooks and forward Quincy Miller cover.

Rockets center Omer Asik, third from left, of Turkey, loses control of the ball under the basket as, from left, Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, guard Aaron Brooks and forward Quincy Miller cover.

Joe Johnson of the Nets shoots over Chandler Parsons and James Harden of the Rockets.

Joe Johnson of the Nets shoots over Chandler Parsons and James Harden of the Rockets.

Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press

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Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin defends a shot by Shaun Livingston of the Nets.

Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin defends a shot by Shaun Livingston of the Nets.

Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press

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Rockets coach Kevin McHale signals to his players as they play the Nets.

Rockets coach Kevin McHale signals to his players as they play the Nets.

Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press

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Joe Johnson of the Nets shoots over Isaiah Canaan of the Rockets.

Joe Johnson of the Nets shoots over Isaiah Canaan of the Rockets.

Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press

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Jay Z and Beyonce take in the Nets and Rockets action at the Barclays Center.

Jay Z and Beyonce take in the Nets and Rockets action at the Barclays Center.

Photo: John Minchillo / Associated Press

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Rockets secure playoff spot with thrilling win over Thunder

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To the Rockets, there could have been few better ways to clinch their playoff spot.

With the game on the line against the team that had befuddled them in every meeting this season and eliminated them from the playoffs last season, the Rockets took control down the stretch to hold off the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-107, ending their three-game losing streak and their three-game skid this season against the Thunder.

They did it the hard way, with Omer Asik twice grabbing offensive rebounds in the final 1:15, drawing fouls and knocking down three of four free throws, and getting just enough stops of Kevin Durant to close out the win Friday.

Durant did hit two 3-pointers in the final minute to stretch his streak scoring of at least 25 points to 40 consecutive games, matching Michael Jordan for the longest streak in 50 years. But James Harden made his final four free throws to finish with 39 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists and help the Rockets hold off the Thunder.

Chandler Parsons, who took turns with Francisco Garcia in holding Durant to 7-of-19 shooting, had 23 points. The Thunder’s Serge Ibaka matched his career high with 27 points and six blocked shots.

The Rockets, however, did just enough to take the lead early in the fourth quarter and to make it stand up at the end.

The Rockets had kept Durant and the Thunder under control through the first half, but in the third quarter, with the Rockets helping in the paint on Durant, the Thunder moved the ball to 3-pointers and rolled up 39 points, the most scored against the Rockets in a third quarter this season.

Oklahoma City led by as much as eight, but the Rockets ended the third quarter and began the fourth with a 15-2 run to take a five-point lead.

They could not quite take control, however, with the teams trading the lead or tying the game in the next six minutes.

Plenty of chances

They had their chances. After making all 17 of their free throws through three quarters, the Rockets made 8 of 12 in the first eight minutes of the fourth. Jeremy Lin, Isaiah Canaan and Chandler Parsons missed wide-open corner 3s. The Rockets got stops and controlled the boards. They drew fouls and scored from the line.

They could not give themselves a cushion, however, until Garcia nailed the 3-pointer they had been missing, putting the Rockets in front 104-98 with 2:42 left.

They needed every one of those points, with the Thunder making one more run.

Even before their late surge, the Rockets had led through much of the game. After staggering back home following three consecutive losses since Dwight Howard and Pat Beverley went out, the Rockets got the fast start they needed. They made five of their first six shots, rushed to a 10-point lead in less than three minutes and led by as much as 14 in the first half.

As significantly, they kept Durant under control by trapping the ball out of his hands on high screens, taking their chances on the mid-range jumpers Ibaka got by rolling off the screens or 3-pointers on the wings if the Rockets rotated to help on him. The Rockets also had a half of good fortune to have Durant misfiring. He made just one of his first six shots with three turnovers.

When Harden pulled up on a break for a 3, the Rockets led 43-29 with five minutes remaining in the half.

The Rockets’ offense, however, had become dangerously reliant on Harden. Terrence Jones had a good stretch of scoring when he took advantage of Ibaka’s time on the bench. But when Ibaka returned, he was a force blocking and changing shots inside. The Rockets made just seven of 21 shots in the second quarter. When the Thunder scored the final six points of the half – five by Durant – the Rockets’ lead was reduced to five.

The Thunder also seemed to have adjusted to other ways to get Durant his touches, moving him off the ball and even having him set screens to make it tougher for the Rockets to trap the ball out of his hands.

Staying close

Instead, they had to help off shooters, and when the Thunder got the ball moving, they ripped the Rockets with 3-pointers and rolled to an eight-point third-quarter lead. The Rockets, however, rallied enough to be within two heading into the fourth quarter.

They still had a find a way to slow the Thunder, but when they began the fourth quarter doing to the Thunder what had been done to them, the Rockets drained three quick 3-pointers to surge back in front. More impressive, they made that lead hold up.